My basement -- a new chapter

[Ridgerunner]

Tax avoidance, not tax evasion. I like the way you think. Perfectly legal and in my mind perfectly ethical.

Many many years ago in New Orleans they had a room tax. Every room in your house was taxed. Closets were considered a room so houses did not have closets unless you were so rich money didn't matter, like friends of @Nyboy . But the bedrooms were big enough that they could fit a really big Armoire or two. Tax avoidance.

 

[Nyboy]

Very interesting about closets being taxed, is that why so many old houses don't have them? My dream would be to have room sized closets LOL Once looked at a old house for sale, it had NO closets at all.

 

[Carol Dee]

I like your plans @Smart Red

 

[digitS']

Many ordinary folks had few clothes, a century ago. Small "closets," served.

I once did a very odd thing (for me ). I showed up in what was a fairly high-end neighborhood with a realtor to look at a house. The neighborhood had been an especially expensive place to live when the home was built, in the 1890's.

It didn't really appear small from the curb but it had only 2 bedrooms, one downstairs one up. It was a story and a half with the wrap-around porch and pillars, out front.

The few rooms were large. Even the closets were walk-in and the realtor pointed out how that also set it apart as the home of the wealthy. It may have been a house built for a couple who were "downsizing." Maybe, they were wealthy farmers who moved off the farm.

Steve

 

[journey11]

It won't be 'finished' living space for tax purposes. To be finished it needs to have ceilings installed. For some reason, just having walls doesn't make the cut. At the most, I plan to run (removable) bolts of cheap material from joist to joist to hide the mess in the joists and keep the taxes down.

That will keep your electrical wiring accessible too. Win-win!

 

[Nyboy]

I have in the back of my mind to one day line my bedroom closet with cedar.

 

[bobm]

When a home is listed for sale... only the ground floor and second and 3rd floor rooms square footage is counted as habitable square footage, while basement and garage square footage does not count. But when it comes to basements, and finished walls and ceilings in a garage has the tax man all over it to increase one's taxes.

 

[bobm]

I have in the back of my mind to one day line my bedroom closet with cedar.

I did just that in our ranch house and in 2 other homes that I built. Works great to keep the clothes moths out, and it smells great too. GO for it !!!

 

[Smart Red]

When a home is listed for sale... only the ground floor and second and 3rd floor rooms square footage is counted as habitable square footage, while basement and garage square footage does not count. But when it comes to basements, and finished walls and ceilings in a garage has the tax man all over it to increase one's taxes.

NO! Say it ain't so, bobm! Finished walls and ceilings in the garage are a bad thing? Two of the cats I don't have enjoy sleeping in the attic with access from the garage. I dearly want to cover that ceiling and finish the walls that rodents find so easy to access the house through. Now you say that will cost me every year? I just might leave a wall or two unfinished, huh?

I just might have to check that one out.

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

i wonder when that rule about the closets being taxed as rooms may have changed. i always thought the rule now was if it had a closet in it that is what made a bedroom count as a bedroom for tax purposes!

my 100+ year old house only has 2 closets and those are both in the 2nd floor front bedroom. both can be considered 'walk-ins' but nothing on the luxurious side. my main floor laundry room could have counted as a pantry/closet at some point in time but my dh said he used it as his bedroom for years. it's so small i don't see how he could fit anything other than a twin sized bed in there with just enough room to get around that.